Editor’s note: Deadline’s It Starts on the Page features standout limited or anthology series scripts in 2024 Emmy contention.
“What they want to hear, Sir, is that we still share a purpose: the Mission Civilization, a faith in the good fight, the American way, et cetera,” double agent the Captain (Hoa Xuande) tells the desperate General (Toan Le) as the fall of Saigon appears imminent in the opening episode of HBO’s The Sympathizer. “A sophomore debate theme for a Fort Leavenworth alum like yourself.”
In many ways, the line from the “Death Wish” script, written by The Sympathizer creators Don McKellar and Park Chan-wook, sums up the complexities and duplicities of the premium cabler’s multi-genre limited series based on Viet Thanh Nguyen’s Pulitzer-winning novel of the same name.
Starring Robert Downey Jr in several roles personifying America and its disastrous involvement in Southeast Asia, The Sympathizer...
“What they want to hear, Sir, is that we still share a purpose: the Mission Civilization, a faith in the good fight, the American way, et cetera,” double agent the Captain (Hoa Xuande) tells the desperate General (Toan Le) as the fall of Saigon appears imminent in the opening episode of HBO’s The Sympathizer. “A sophomore debate theme for a Fort Leavenworth alum like yourself.”
In many ways, the line from the “Death Wish” script, written by The Sympathizer creators Don McKellar and Park Chan-wook, sums up the complexities and duplicities of the premium cabler’s multi-genre limited series based on Viet Thanh Nguyen’s Pulitzer-winning novel of the same name.
Starring Robert Downey Jr in several roles personifying America and its disastrous involvement in Southeast Asia, The Sympathizer...
- 6/4/2024
- by Dominic Patten
- Deadline Film + TV
It’s time for another episode of the Wtf Happened to This Horror Movie? video series, and with this one we’re looking back at director Chan-wook Park’s 2003 South Korean film Oldboy (watch it Here) – a movie that has not only been ranked on lists of the Greatest Films Ever Made, but has also had people looking at hammers differently for over twenty years now. You can hear all about it in the video embedded above.
Written by Park with Jo-yun Hwang and Jun-hyung Lim, Oldboy is a loose adaptation of the Japanese manga of the same name. The film has the following synopsis: Dae-Su is an obnoxious drunk bailed from the police station yet again by a friend. However, he’s abducted from the street and wakes up in a cell, where he remains for the next 15 years, drugged unconscious when human contact is unavoidable, otherwise with only the television as company.
Written by Park with Jo-yun Hwang and Jun-hyung Lim, Oldboy is a loose adaptation of the Japanese manga of the same name. The film has the following synopsis: Dae-Su is an obnoxious drunk bailed from the police station yet again by a friend. However, he’s abducted from the street and wakes up in a cell, where he remains for the next 15 years, drugged unconscious when human contact is unavoidable, otherwise with only the television as company.
- 5/27/2024
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
Ryoo Seung-wan has been a pillar of the South Korean film industry for over 20 years, respected there for his keen social observation and thrilling action. But Europe’s great film festivals have feted him conspicuously less than some of his more internationally well-known peers. The Cannes Film Festival recently took a step toward correcting that record in 2024.
Ryoo, 50, made his first and only trip to Cannes back in 2005 with the gritty boxing drama Crying Fist, co-starring his brother, Ryoo Seung-bum, today a major star, and Korean cinema icon Choi Min-sik, then riding high thanks to his iconic role in Park Chan-wook’s Old Boy (2003).
“Crying Fist was very well received, but since we were in the Directors’ Fortnight section of the festival, it wasn’t screened in Cannes’ Grand Lumière Theater,” Ryoo recalls. “Back then, I was much younger and everything just felt fresh, fun and exciting. But I remember...
Ryoo, 50, made his first and only trip to Cannes back in 2005 with the gritty boxing drama Crying Fist, co-starring his brother, Ryoo Seung-bum, today a major star, and Korean cinema icon Choi Min-sik, then riding high thanks to his iconic role in Park Chan-wook’s Old Boy (2003).
“Crying Fist was very well received, but since we were in the Directors’ Fortnight section of the festival, it wasn’t screened in Cannes’ Grand Lumière Theater,” Ryoo recalls. “Back then, I was much younger and everything just felt fresh, fun and exciting. But I remember...
- 5/27/2024
- by Patrick Brzeski
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Boy Kills World is an extremely stylized dystopian action thriller revenge film directed by Moritz Mohr from a screenplay by Tyler Burton Smith and Arend Remmers. Based on the story by Remmers and Mohr, the brilliant action film is set in a dystopian film where the Van Der Koy family rules the city. We follow the story of a young boy known only as Boy who is hell-bent on becoming a living breathing weapon to take revenge against the Van Der Koy family. Boy Kills World stars Bill Skarsgård in the lead role with Jessica Rothe, Andrew Koji, Famke Janssen, H. Jon Benjamin, Yayan Ruhian, Cameron Crovetti, Michelle Dockery, Brett Gelman, Quinn Copeland, and Sharlto Copley starring in supporting roles. So, if you loved the stylized action, dark comedy, and brutal violence in Boy Kills World here are some similar films you could watch next.
Wanted (Tubi & Rent on Prime...
Wanted (Tubi & Rent on Prime...
- 5/23/2024
- by Kulwant Singh
- Cinema Blind
South Korean filmmaker Park Chan-wook is the latest auteur making the migration to television. He previously dabbled in serialized narratives by directing all six episodes of the 2018 BBC spy thriller mini-series "The Little Drummer Girl." Adapting a John Le Carré novel, famous for their intricate plots, for his second English-language work? Park's pulled off that and more.
This year, Park co-created "The Sympathizer," a Vietnam War satire starring Robert Downey Jr. and Hoa Xuande. Adapted from Viet Thanh Nguyen's 2015 novel (and Pulitzer winner), Park also directed the series' first three episodes. Most recently, it's been confirmed that he's producing a TV remake of his most famous film: 2003 revenge thriller "Oldboy."
Park is one of the most internationally known filmmakers from South Korea. The country has a thriving movie industry. (Check out /Film's picks for the best South Korean film directors here.) Before Park took off as a director,...
This year, Park co-created "The Sympathizer," a Vietnam War satire starring Robert Downey Jr. and Hoa Xuande. Adapted from Viet Thanh Nguyen's 2015 novel (and Pulitzer winner), Park also directed the series' first three episodes. Most recently, it's been confirmed that he's producing a TV remake of his most famous film: 2003 revenge thriller "Oldboy."
Park is one of the most internationally known filmmakers from South Korea. The country has a thriving movie industry. (Check out /Film's picks for the best South Korean film directors here.) Before Park took off as a director,...
- 5/18/2024
- by Devin Meenan
- Slash Film
There's no denying that K-dramas have been at the top of their game for decades now, and it doesn't matter what genre they're in – they always try to attract as many viewers as possible.
However, one of the most popular genres of K-dramas is thriller, and with the way South Koreans approach their creations, it's clear that each one has many chances to be perfect.
Still, with the huge variety of things to see in the genre, there's one movie that is considered to be the best cat-and-mouse thriller ever created by the industry. It's without a doubt Park Chan Wook's 2003 movie called Oldboy.
Oldboy Turns Tables From the Start
The premise of the movie is quite unusual: we meet a rather unpleasant character, Oh Dae-Su, when he is being arrested for being drunk, but then after being taken to the police station he was kidnapped by unknown ones.
However, one of the most popular genres of K-dramas is thriller, and with the way South Koreans approach their creations, it's clear that each one has many chances to be perfect.
Still, with the huge variety of things to see in the genre, there's one movie that is considered to be the best cat-and-mouse thriller ever created by the industry. It's without a doubt Park Chan Wook's 2003 movie called Oldboy.
Oldboy Turns Tables From the Start
The premise of the movie is quite unusual: we meet a rather unpleasant character, Oh Dae-Su, when he is being arrested for being drunk, but then after being taken to the police station he was kidnapped by unknown ones.
- 5/11/2024
- by info@startefacts.com (Rachel Bailey)
- STartefacts.com
Exclusive: Chinese streaming giant iQIYI is involved in a legal row after featuring Korean masterpiece Oldboy in its library for at least six years without a proper license.
iQIYI is one of the biggest streaming services in the world, with more than 100M subscribers, but the company has faced a legal claim from Oldboy’s London-based distributor Celsius Entertainment.
Deadline understands that lawyers acting for Celsius and Oldboy producer Egg Films contacted iQIYI last August to allege that the streaming service had breached copyright after its license for the film expired in 2016.
“The pirated broadcast of this film will have a wide range of negative impacts in China, South Korea as well as around the world,” iQIYI was warned in a legal letter seen by Deadline.
“Your company has the social responsibility to protect intellectual property rights and safeguard the corporate image of Chinese enterprises, so please treat this matter with caution.
iQIYI is one of the biggest streaming services in the world, with more than 100M subscribers, but the company has faced a legal claim from Oldboy’s London-based distributor Celsius Entertainment.
Deadline understands that lawyers acting for Celsius and Oldboy producer Egg Films contacted iQIYI last August to allege that the streaming service had breached copyright after its license for the film expired in 2016.
“The pirated broadcast of this film will have a wide range of negative impacts in China, South Korea as well as around the world,” iQIYI was warned in a legal letter seen by Deadline.
“Your company has the social responsibility to protect intellectual property rights and safeguard the corporate image of Chinese enterprises, so please treat this matter with caution.
- 5/10/2024
- by Jake Kanter
- Deadline Film + TV
Note: This story contains spoilers ahead from “The Sympathizer” Episode 4.
Sunday’s episode of “The Sympathizer” saw The Captain (Hoa Xuande) go to work as an interpreter on auteur Nikos’ (Robert Downey Jr.) film about the Vietnam War.
Co-showrunner Park Chan-wook revealed in an interview with TheWrap that one key change that the series made from Viet Thanh Nguyen’s Pultizer Prize-winning source material was moving the location of the film’s set from the Philippines to California.
“I think in the original novel, because it’s inspired by ‘Apocalypse Now,’ they changed the Philippines into Vietnam. But because of the financial restraints, we set this in California and changed that into Vietnam for this movie set,” Chan-wook said. “I think in hindsight, it turned out better in terms of our creative aspect… we were able to bring in our secondary characters into our story to have them play the...
Sunday’s episode of “The Sympathizer” saw The Captain (Hoa Xuande) go to work as an interpreter on auteur Nikos’ (Robert Downey Jr.) film about the Vietnam War.
Co-showrunner Park Chan-wook revealed in an interview with TheWrap that one key change that the series made from Viet Thanh Nguyen’s Pultizer Prize-winning source material was moving the location of the film’s set from the Philippines to California.
“I think in the original novel, because it’s inspired by ‘Apocalypse Now,’ they changed the Philippines into Vietnam. But because of the financial restraints, we set this in California and changed that into Vietnam for this movie set,” Chan-wook said. “I think in hindsight, it turned out better in terms of our creative aspect… we were able to bring in our secondary characters into our story to have them play the...
- 5/6/2024
- by Lucas Manfredi
- The Wrap
Per IMDb, “the Vengeance Trilogy is a series of three Korean films: (1) Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance (2002), (2) Oldboy (2003), and (3) Lady Vengeance (2005), directed by South Korean filmmaker Park Chan-wook. Each movie deals with themes of revenge, violence, and salvation.” ♦ (1) Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance (2002) A viewer may want to have sympathy for the main character Ryu. He is a deaf-mute man who wants to be a kidney donor to save his sister’s life. Besides the fact that he does not have the money to pay for the kidney transplant operation, the doctor also tells him that he is not a compatible donor. That means he needs to find a suitable donor. His desperation makes him turn to the black market to find an
The post A Review of the 3 Korean Films in the Vengeance Trilogy first appeared on popgeeks.com.
The post A Review of the 3 Korean Films in the Vengeance Trilogy first appeared on popgeeks.
The post A Review of the 3 Korean Films in the Vengeance Trilogy first appeared on popgeeks.com.
The post A Review of the 3 Korean Films in the Vengeance Trilogy first appeared on popgeeks.
- 5/1/2024
- by cmoneyspinner
- popgeeks - film
Get in touch to send in cinephile news and discoveries. To keep up with our latest features, sign up for the Weekly Edit newsletter and follow us @mubinotebook on Twitter and Instagram.FESTIVALSMay Days.As many as 200 French film festival workers plan to stage labor actions during Cannes, citing insufficient pay and the exclusion of many festival staff from unemployment benefits when they are not under contract. The movement is being organized under the banner of Sous Les Écrans La Dèche: Collectif Des Précaires Des Festivals De Cinéma.A new report outlines the institutional dysfunction at the Toronto International Film Festival, which recently lost the support of the telecommunications company Bell as its major sponsor. Citing a desire for “greater accessibility,” Slamdance Film Festival will relocate from Park City, Ut, to Los Angeles in 2025.NEWSHarlan County, U.S.A..Now that all thirteen IATSE locals have reached tentative agreements with the AMPTP,...
- 5/1/2024
- MUBI
Get in touch to send in cinephile news and discoveries. To keep up with our latest features, sign up for the Weekly Edit newsletter and follow us @mubinotebook on Twitter and Instagram.NEWSAn Inconvenient Truth.Participant, the socially conscious production company, has closed, which filmmaker Julie Cohen called “devastating news to anyone who cares about documentaries.” Their twenty-year track record includes many nonfiction films, such as An Inconvenient Truth (2006), but also narrative features like Spotlight (2015) and Roma (2018).New data suggests that Hollywood production has gradually rebounded after last year’s WGA and SAG strikes, though not to the levels of the “peak TV” streaming bubble.The Archival Producers Alliance has drafted best practices for the use of generative AI in documentary, cautioning against the “danger of forever muddying the historical record.”In PRODUCTIONMartin Scorsese is reportedly developing a Frank Sinatra biopic, to star Leonardo DiCaprio as the crooner and Jennifer Lawrence as Ava Gardner.
- 4/25/2024
- MUBI
Opening soon in a theater near you are “Run Lola Run,” “Interstellar,” “Hereditary,” “Split,” and “Spirited Away.” They join fellow comeback kids “Oldboy,” “Stop Making Sense,” “Coraline,” “Amelié,” and Pixar’s pandemic-era films making their theatrical returns.
Last year’s strikes can take credit for some of this nostalgia: With distributors forced to delay films, theaters are desperate for product. However, desperation is not the only mother of this invention. A24, Neon, and other specialty distributors are treating re-releases as a way to reach younger audiences.
Last year, Neon re-released Park Chan-wook’s 2003 film “Oldboy” to $2.1 million worldwide. At a CinemaCon panel April 8, Neon distribution president Elissa Federoff credited its success to a young audience eager to see it on a big screen for the first time. “What is old is new for these younger audiences,” she said.
A24 is reaching into its own library to bolster its brand, rereleasing...
Last year’s strikes can take credit for some of this nostalgia: With distributors forced to delay films, theaters are desperate for product. However, desperation is not the only mother of this invention. A24, Neon, and other specialty distributors are treating re-releases as a way to reach younger audiences.
Last year, Neon re-released Park Chan-wook’s 2003 film “Oldboy” to $2.1 million worldwide. At a CinemaCon panel April 8, Neon distribution president Elissa Federoff credited its success to a young audience eager to see it on a big screen for the first time. “What is old is new for these younger audiences,” she said.
A24 is reaching into its own library to bolster its brand, rereleasing...
- 4/25/2024
- by Brian Welk
- Indiewire
Samuel L. Jackson is an acting legend who has starred in numerous movies of all genres. Among his major movies are School Daze (1988), Do the Right Thing (1989), Mo’ Better Blues (1990), Jungle Fever (1991), Oldboy (2013), and Chi-Raq (2015), Tarantino’s films Jackie Brown (1997), Kill Bill: Volume 2 (2004), Django Unchained (2012), and The Hateful Eight (2015), but he also has two extremely popular roles in his filmography – that of Nick Fury in the MCU, as well as that of Mace Windu in the Star Wars franchise.
We know that Mace Windu died in The Revenge of the Sith, but the character had already been a fan favorite by that moment and since then, there have been numerous calls for Windu to return to the series, implying that the character did not die during the fated battle against Palpatine. Samuel L. Jackson was recently asked about it and he made his opinion on the matter quite clear.
We know that Mace Windu died in The Revenge of the Sith, but the character had already been a fan favorite by that moment and since then, there have been numerous calls for Windu to return to the series, implying that the character did not die during the fated battle against Palpatine. Samuel L. Jackson was recently asked about it and he made his opinion on the matter quite clear.
- 4/23/2024
- by Arthur S. Poe
- Fiction Horizon
Welcome to the 256th episode of TV’s Top 5, The Hollywood Reporter’s TV podcast.
Every week, hosts Lesley Goldberg (West Coast TV editor) and Daniel Fienberg (chief TV critic) break down the latest TV news with context from the business and critical sides, welcome showrunners, executives and other guests, and provide a critical guide of what to watch (or skip, as the case may be).
This week, we shifted from streaming to focusing on broadcast ahead of next month’s upfront presentations. Here’s how this week’s episode plays out:
1. Headlines
Tyler Perry, For All Mankind, The Witcher, Star Trek: Lower Decks, Oldboy, Travis Kelce, Don Johnson, The Gates and The Talk lead the week’s top small-screen headlines.
2. State of Broadcast
What’s renewed, ending and on the bubble? We round up the state of affairs at the five broadcast networks.
3. What’s “New” on Broadcast
As...
Every week, hosts Lesley Goldberg (West Coast TV editor) and Daniel Fienberg (chief TV critic) break down the latest TV news with context from the business and critical sides, welcome showrunners, executives and other guests, and provide a critical guide of what to watch (or skip, as the case may be).
This week, we shifted from streaming to focusing on broadcast ahead of next month’s upfront presentations. Here’s how this week’s episode plays out:
1. Headlines
Tyler Perry, For All Mankind, The Witcher, Star Trek: Lower Decks, Oldboy, Travis Kelce, Don Johnson, The Gates and The Talk lead the week’s top small-screen headlines.
2. State of Broadcast
What’s renewed, ending and on the bubble? We round up the state of affairs at the five broadcast networks.
3. What’s “New” on Broadcast
As...
- 4/19/2024
- by Lesley Goldberg
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Most television audiences were drawn to the series, knowing Colin Farrell was leading the Sugar cast. Although Farrell has yet to win an Oscar for his performances, he has long proven he’s not your everyday actor. Apple TV+ rolled out its new and exciting mystery crime drama on April 5, 2024, to generally positive reviews. Sugar was created by American screenwriter Mark Protosevich, known for co-writing I Am Legend (2007) and Oldboy (2013), and providing the story for Thor (2011). In Sugar, Private Detective John Sugar takes up a case to find the missing granddaughter of a Hollywood producer. As
The post Sugar: Meet the Cast of the Colin Farrell Apple TV+ Series first appeared on TVovermind.
The post Sugar: Meet the Cast of the Colin Farrell Apple TV+ Series first appeared on TVovermind.
- 4/18/2024
- by Onyinye Izundu
- TVovermind.com
Loosely adapted from the Japanese manga of the same name, Park Chan-wook’s 2003 movie Oldboy turned into a cult classic right after its release. Narrating the tale of Oh Dae-su, who becomes obsessed with vengeance on his captors after being imprisoned for 15 years, the movie garnered critical success and positive reviews.
Acclaimed filmmaker Park Chan-wook | image: Wikimedia Commons
Later on, following in Park Chan-wook’s footsteps, Spike Lee came up with a 2013 remake, starring Josh Brolin and Elizabeth Olsen. Unfortunately, Lee’s film turned into an atrocious remake, which deeply saddened fans of the original film.
However, decades later there appears hope for Chan-wook to redeem his Oldboy remake, as the director prepares for an English-language Oldboy TV series remake.
Spike Lee’s Atrocious Remake of Oldboy Starring Josh Brolin
Following the grand success of Park Chan-wook’s original 2003 thriller Oldboy, Spike Lee tried his hands on the remake of the Korean film,...
Acclaimed filmmaker Park Chan-wook | image: Wikimedia Commons
Later on, following in Park Chan-wook’s footsteps, Spike Lee came up with a 2013 remake, starring Josh Brolin and Elizabeth Olsen. Unfortunately, Lee’s film turned into an atrocious remake, which deeply saddened fans of the original film.
However, decades later there appears hope for Chan-wook to redeem his Oldboy remake, as the director prepares for an English-language Oldboy TV series remake.
Spike Lee’s Atrocious Remake of Oldboy Starring Josh Brolin
Following the grand success of Park Chan-wook’s original 2003 thriller Oldboy, Spike Lee tried his hands on the remake of the Korean film,...
- 4/18/2024
- by Krittika Mukherjee
- FandomWire
Writer and director Park Chan-Wook is adapting his acclaimed 2003 South Korean film Oldboy into an English language television series.
Eminent director Park Chan-Wook is adapting his classic thriller Oldboy into an English language television series for Lionsgate. He will produce the series alongside his producing partner Syd Lim.
Chan-Wook said, in a statement published by Deadline, “Lionsgate Television shares my creative vision for bringing Oldboy into the world of television. I look forward to working with a studio whose brand stands for bold, original and risk-taking storytelling”.
Head of Scripted Development Scott Herbst said, “Park is one of the most visionary storytellers of our generation, and we’re excited to partner with him in bringing his cinematic masterpiece to the television screen. This series adaptation of Oldboy will feature the raw emotional power, iconic fight scenes and visceral style that made the film a classic”.
Indeed, there are few action...
Eminent director Park Chan-Wook is adapting his classic thriller Oldboy into an English language television series for Lionsgate. He will produce the series alongside his producing partner Syd Lim.
Chan-Wook said, in a statement published by Deadline, “Lionsgate Television shares my creative vision for bringing Oldboy into the world of television. I look forward to working with a studio whose brand stands for bold, original and risk-taking storytelling”.
Head of Scripted Development Scott Herbst said, “Park is one of the most visionary storytellers of our generation, and we’re excited to partner with him in bringing his cinematic masterpiece to the television screen. This series adaptation of Oldboy will feature the raw emotional power, iconic fight scenes and visceral style that made the film a classic”.
Indeed, there are few action...
- 4/18/2024
- by Jake Godfrey
- Film Stories
Gkids has acquires North American rights to Mamoru Oshii’s Ghost In The Shell 2: Innocence and will release a new 4K restoration this summer.
First released in 2004, Oshii’s cyberpunk mystery centred on the character Batou from his 1995 classic Ghost In The Shell and is imagined as a stand-alone return to the world established in the original.
It is now the year 2032 and the line between humans and machines has become blurred as cyber-bodied agent Batou and his human partner Togusa investigate a string of murders committed by a prototype android model.
Prior to the film’s nationwide release,...
First released in 2004, Oshii’s cyberpunk mystery centred on the character Batou from his 1995 classic Ghost In The Shell and is imagined as a stand-alone return to the world established in the original.
It is now the year 2032 and the line between humans and machines has become blurred as cyber-bodied agent Batou and his human partner Togusa investigate a string of murders committed by a prototype android model.
Prior to the film’s nationwide release,...
- 4/17/2024
- ScreenDaily
Following his first foray into television with 2018’s “The Little Drummer Girl,” Korean filmmaker Park Chan-Wook returns to Western television this month with the espionage thriller series “The Sympathizer” on HBO (read our review). And the director is already quickly putting together another project for the small screen, a series adaptation of his 2003 revenge masterpiece “Oldboy.” Variety reports that Chan-Wook is partnering with Lionsgate Television on the adaptation of the English-language series based on his film of the same name.
Continue reading ‘Oldboy’: Park Chan-Wook & Lionsgate TV Team For English-Language Series Remake Of Genre Classic at The Playlist.
Continue reading ‘Oldboy’: Park Chan-Wook & Lionsgate TV Team For English-Language Series Remake Of Genre Classic at The Playlist.
- 4/17/2024
- by Christopher Marc
- The Playlist
Following in the wake of the Spike Lee-directed remake in 2013, Park Chan-wook’s South Korean masterpiece Oldboy (2003) is getting a small screen adaptation, we’ve learned.
Lionsgate Television is partnering with renowned filmmaker Park Chan-wook to develop his acclaimed film Oldboy for television, marking the first English-language series adaptation of the iconic property. This comes as Park’s The Sympathizer just debuted on HBO.
Park Chan-wook, who of course directed and co-wrote the original South Korean film, is attached to produce the upcoming “Oldboy” TV series along with producing partner Syd Lim.
“Lionsgate Television shares my creative vision for bringing Oldboy into the world of television,” said Park. “I look forward to working with a studio whose brand stands for bold, original and risk-taking storytelling.”
“Park is one of the most visionary storytellers of our generation, and we’re excited to partner with him in bringing his cinematic masterpiece to the television screen,...
Lionsgate Television is partnering with renowned filmmaker Park Chan-wook to develop his acclaimed film Oldboy for television, marking the first English-language series adaptation of the iconic property. This comes as Park’s The Sympathizer just debuted on HBO.
Park Chan-wook, who of course directed and co-wrote the original South Korean film, is attached to produce the upcoming “Oldboy” TV series along with producing partner Syd Lim.
“Lionsgate Television shares my creative vision for bringing Oldboy into the world of television,” said Park. “I look forward to working with a studio whose brand stands for bold, original and risk-taking storytelling.”
“Park is one of the most visionary storytellers of our generation, and we’re excited to partner with him in bringing his cinematic masterpiece to the television screen,...
- 4/17/2024
- by John Squires
- bloody-disgusting.com
Lionsgate Television is partnering with renowned Korean filmmaker and television creator Park Chan-wook to develop his acclaimed film Oldboy for television. This marks the first English-language series adaptation of the iconic property.
Park, who directed and co-wrote the original film, is attached to produce the series along with producing partner Syd Lim.
Oldboy has earned numerous accolades, becoming the first South Korean film to win the Grand Prix at Cannes in 2004 and being named to numerous lists of the greatest movies of all time. The movie was re-released by Neon last year for its 20th anniversary, landing in the top ten at the domestic box office in its opening week, a rare feat for a re-release.
Adapted from a Japanese manga of the same name, the film follows a man who is released from prison after 15 years, only to find that he must find his captor in five days. The...
Park, who directed and co-wrote the original film, is attached to produce the series along with producing partner Syd Lim.
Oldboy has earned numerous accolades, becoming the first South Korean film to win the Grand Prix at Cannes in 2004 and being named to numerous lists of the greatest movies of all time. The movie was re-released by Neon last year for its 20th anniversary, landing in the top ten at the domestic box office in its opening week, a rare feat for a re-release.
Adapted from a Japanese manga of the same name, the film follows a man who is released from prison after 15 years, only to find that he must find his captor in five days. The...
- 4/17/2024
- by Mirko Parlevliet
- Vital Thrills
Lionsgate Television is teaming with Park Chan-wook to develop an English-language TV adaptation of Park’s iconic film “Oldboy.”
Park directed and co-wrote the original film, which was itself loosely based on the Japanese manga of the same name. He will produce the new series version along with his producing partner, Syd Lim. Executives Courtney Mock and Tara Joshi are overseeing the project for Lionsgate Television. Bryan Weiser negotiated the deal.
“Lionsgate Television shares my creative vision for bringing ‘Oldboy’ into the world of television,” said Park. “I look forward to working with a studio whose brand stands for bold, original and risk-taking storytelling.”
Originally released in 2003, “Oldboy” tells the story of a man who is kidnapped and held prisoner in a sealed hotel room for 15 years. He is suddenly released with no explanation, only to learn he has five days to discover why he was imprisoned or face the consequences.
Park directed and co-wrote the original film, which was itself loosely based on the Japanese manga of the same name. He will produce the new series version along with his producing partner, Syd Lim. Executives Courtney Mock and Tara Joshi are overseeing the project for Lionsgate Television. Bryan Weiser negotiated the deal.
“Lionsgate Television shares my creative vision for bringing ‘Oldboy’ into the world of television,” said Park. “I look forward to working with a studio whose brand stands for bold, original and risk-taking storytelling.”
Originally released in 2003, “Oldboy” tells the story of a man who is kidnapped and held prisoner in a sealed hotel room for 15 years. He is suddenly released with no explanation, only to learn he has five days to discover why he was imprisoned or face the consequences.
- 4/17/2024
- by Joe Otterson
- Variety Film + TV
Lionsgate Television and Park Chan-wook are partnering on an English-language adaptation of the South Korean auteur’s revenge thriller Oldboy.
Park and producing partner Syd Lim are attached to produce the series. Lionsgate Television executives Courtney Mock and Tara Joshi are overseeing the project.
The news comes days after the debut last weekend of Park’s HBO series The Sympathizer.
Oldboy became the first South Korean film to win the Grand Prix at Cannes in 2004 and the modern classic was re-released last year to mark its 20th anniversary.
Adapted from the Japanese manga of the same name, the feature follows...
Park and producing partner Syd Lim are attached to produce the series. Lionsgate Television executives Courtney Mock and Tara Joshi are overseeing the project.
The news comes days after the debut last weekend of Park’s HBO series The Sympathizer.
Oldboy became the first South Korean film to win the Grand Prix at Cannes in 2004 and the modern classic was re-released last year to mark its 20th anniversary.
Adapted from the Japanese manga of the same name, the feature follows...
- 4/17/2024
- ScreenDaily
Get ready to witness cinema's most stomach-churning twist all over again: "Oldboy" is coming to television. The 2003 Park Chan-Wook masterpiece (which was based on a manga by Garon Tsuchiya) is going to be remade as an English-language TV show, /Film has learned, and Park will be directly involved in crafting this new version.
Park is partnering with Lionsgate Television to develop a series adaptation of the impressively f***ed-up story and will produce the show along with his frequent collaborator Syd Lim. "Lionsgate Television shares my creative vision for bringing 'Oldboy' into the world of television," Park said in a press release. "I look forward to working with a studio whose brand stands for bold, original, and risk-taking storytelling." Past Lionsgate Television productions range from "Mad Men" to "Party Down" to "Yellowjackets," and given the company's wide-ranging list of past streaming and network partners, it's still too soon...
Park is partnering with Lionsgate Television to develop a series adaptation of the impressively f***ed-up story and will produce the show along with his frequent collaborator Syd Lim. "Lionsgate Television shares my creative vision for bringing 'Oldboy' into the world of television," Park said in a press release. "I look forward to working with a studio whose brand stands for bold, original, and risk-taking storytelling." Past Lionsgate Television productions range from "Mad Men" to "Party Down" to "Yellowjackets," and given the company's wide-ranging list of past streaming and network partners, it's still too soon...
- 4/17/2024
- by Valerie Ettenhofer
- Slash Film
Stop, hammer time! Park Chan-wook’s classic action thriller Oldboy is getting a TV series adaptation
Are you ready for some raw octopus, brutal hammer fights, and inadvertent incest? Well, I have good news for you! Lionsgate and the legendary South Korean filmmaker Park Chan-wook are teaming up for a series adaptation of Oldboy. Word about the Oldboy TV series follows Park’s The Sympathizer, which arrived to rave reviews on HBO. JoBlo’s Alex Maidy reviewed The Sympathizer, saying the series exceeded his expectations, with Robert Downey Jr. delivering a killer, career-high performance. The new version of Park Chan-wook’s Oldboy is the first English-language series adaptation of the iconic property. Park, who directed and co-wrote the original film, is attached to produce the series along with producing partner Syd Lim.
Per today’s press release from Lionsgate:
Oldboy has earned numerous accolades, becoming the first South Korean film to win the Grand Prix at Cannes in 2004 and being named to numerous lists of the greatest movies of all time.
Per today’s press release from Lionsgate:
Oldboy has earned numerous accolades, becoming the first South Korean film to win the Grand Prix at Cannes in 2004 and being named to numerous lists of the greatest movies of all time.
- 4/17/2024
- by Steve Seigh
- JoBlo.com
Oldboy, the South Korean thriller that many consider a classic despite it only being released 21 years ago, is on track for a TV series adaptation.
TVLine has learned that Lionsgate Television is partnering with Park Chan-wook on the first English-language series adaptation of his 2003 film, which was adapted from a Japanese manga of the same name and went on to become the first South Korean film to win the Grand Prix at Cannes.
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Park,...
TVLine has learned that Lionsgate Television is partnering with Park Chan-wook on the first English-language series adaptation of his 2003 film, which was adapted from a Japanese manga of the same name and went on to become the first South Korean film to win the Grand Prix at Cannes.
More from TVLineAHS: Delicate Exposes a Major Betrayal Ahead of Season FinaleSurvivor Recap: Tribal Council Explodes Into Sheer MadnessSo Help Me Todd Is Not Preparing for Possible Cancellation
Park,...
- 4/17/2024
- by Matt Webb Mitovich
- TVLine.com
Park Chan-wook is developing his acclaimed film Oldboy for the first time as an English-language series in partnership with Lionsgate Television. Park, who directed and co-wrote the original film, is set to produce the series alongside producing partner Syd Lim.
The 2003 feature is an adaptation of the Japanese manga of the same name written by Garon Tsuchiya. It follows Oh Dae-su (Choi Min-sik), a man taken off the streets and imprisoned for 15 years who is one day released and given 5 days to find his captor.
Oldboy is the second title in Park’s Vengeance trilogy, following Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance (2002) and preceding Sympathy for Lady Vengeance (2005). It earned multiple accolades including the Grand Prix at Cannes in 2004, a first for a South Korean film. Spike Lee remade the film in 2013 with Josh Brolin portraying the lead character, Joe Doucett.
“Lionsgate Television shares my creative vision for bringing Oldboy into the world of television,...
The 2003 feature is an adaptation of the Japanese manga of the same name written by Garon Tsuchiya. It follows Oh Dae-su (Choi Min-sik), a man taken off the streets and imprisoned for 15 years who is one day released and given 5 days to find his captor.
Oldboy is the second title in Park’s Vengeance trilogy, following Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance (2002) and preceding Sympathy for Lady Vengeance (2005). It earned multiple accolades including the Grand Prix at Cannes in 2004, a first for a South Korean film. Spike Lee remade the film in 2013 with Josh Brolin portraying the lead character, Joe Doucett.
“Lionsgate Television shares my creative vision for bringing Oldboy into the world of television,...
- 4/17/2024
- by Rosy Cordero
- Deadline Film + TV
Korean auteur Park Chan-wook is set to adapt his 2003 masterpiece “Oldboy” as an English-language TV series alongside Lionsgate Television, the studio announced on Wednesday, April 17.
Park, who directed and co-wrote the original action mystery film, is attached to produce the “Oldboy” series adaptation alongside his producing partner Syd Lim.
Park is fresh off “The Sympathizer,” his limited series starring Robert Downey Jr. that just debuted on HBO this past weekend. And while it’s not the first English-language remake of “Oldboy” following Spike Lee’s 2013 film starring Josh Brolin, it will be the first time the film will be adapted for the small screen.
“Lionsgate Television shares my creative vision for bringing ‘Oldboy’ into the world of television,” Park said in a statement. “I look forward to working with a studio whose brand stands for bold, original and risk-taking storytelling.”
“Oldboy” was adapted from a Japanese manga of the same...
Park, who directed and co-wrote the original action mystery film, is attached to produce the “Oldboy” series adaptation alongside his producing partner Syd Lim.
Park is fresh off “The Sympathizer,” his limited series starring Robert Downey Jr. that just debuted on HBO this past weekend. And while it’s not the first English-language remake of “Oldboy” following Spike Lee’s 2013 film starring Josh Brolin, it will be the first time the film will be adapted for the small screen.
“Lionsgate Television shares my creative vision for bringing ‘Oldboy’ into the world of television,” Park said in a statement. “I look forward to working with a studio whose brand stands for bold, original and risk-taking storytelling.”
“Oldboy” was adapted from a Japanese manga of the same...
- 4/17/2024
- by Brian Welk
- Indiewire
Korean filmmaker Park Chan-wook is partnering with Lionsgate Television to develop a series version of his 2003 revenge thriller Oldboy.
The project would be an English-language adaptation of the story, which was loosely based on a magna with the same name.
“Lionsgate Television shares my creative vision for bringing Oldboy into the world of television,” said Park. “I look forward to working with a studio whose brand stands for bold, original and risk-taking storytelling.”
In addition to directing The Handmaiden and Decision to Leave, Park previously produced the dystopian thriller Snowpiercer which was likewise adapted into a series. He’s also directing and producing HBO’s new limited series The Sympathizer starring Robert Downey, Jr.
“Park is one of the most visionary storytellers of our generation, and we’re excited to partner with him in bringing his cinematic masterpiece to the television screen,” added Scott Herbst, EVP and Head of Scripted Development,...
The project would be an English-language adaptation of the story, which was loosely based on a magna with the same name.
“Lionsgate Television shares my creative vision for bringing Oldboy into the world of television,” said Park. “I look forward to working with a studio whose brand stands for bold, original and risk-taking storytelling.”
In addition to directing The Handmaiden and Decision to Leave, Park previously produced the dystopian thriller Snowpiercer which was likewise adapted into a series. He’s also directing and producing HBO’s new limited series The Sympathizer starring Robert Downey, Jr.
“Park is one of the most visionary storytellers of our generation, and we’re excited to partner with him in bringing his cinematic masterpiece to the television screen,” added Scott Herbst, EVP and Head of Scripted Development,...
- 4/17/2024
- by James Hibberd
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Not long after winning an Oscar for Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer, Robert Downey Jr. is starring in perhaps his most challenging project to date: another high-profile one. The Iron Man star, 59, is starring in a new HBO Max series called The Sympathizer, in which, he is playing four antagonist roles combined.
In addition to playing a CIA agent, Downey Jr. portrays a professor, a congressman, and a film director (who was influenced by Francis Ford Coppola). Meanwhile, Hoa Xuande plays The Captain (a Vietnamese spy) in the HBO series, which is based on the critically acclaimed book of a similar title by Viet Thanh Nguyen.
Hoa Xuande and Robert Downey Jr. in The Sympathizer
Behind The Sympathizer is Park Chan-wook, a renowned filmmaker best known for movies like Oldboy, and The Handmaiden. In a recent interview, the South Korean director and former film critic expressed his disappointment and regret at...
In addition to playing a CIA agent, Downey Jr. portrays a professor, a congressman, and a film director (who was influenced by Francis Ford Coppola). Meanwhile, Hoa Xuande plays The Captain (a Vietnamese spy) in the HBO series, which is based on the critically acclaimed book of a similar title by Viet Thanh Nguyen.
Hoa Xuande and Robert Downey Jr. in The Sympathizer
Behind The Sympathizer is Park Chan-wook, a renowned filmmaker best known for movies like Oldboy, and The Handmaiden. In a recent interview, the South Korean director and former film critic expressed his disappointment and regret at...
- 4/16/2024
- by Siddhika Prajapati
- FandomWire
Spoiler Alert: This article contains details of the first episode of HBO’s limited series The Sympathizer, which premiered on April 14.
“All right, see you stateside,” says Robert Downey Jr’s Claude quips with some gallows humor to Hoa Xuande’s The Captain near the end of the first episode of HBO’s The Sympathizer as communist North Vietnamese forces bombard soon-to-fall Saigon in 1975.
If the slippery CIA officer was the only role Oscar winner Downey portrays in the multi-genre adaptation of Viet Thanh Nguyen’s Pulitzer-winning novel, it would capture a lot of attention on or off cable. However, Downey plays several characters in multicultural and multinational The Sympathizer from showrunners Park Chan-wook and Don McKellar as the action moves from the dying days of the American War, as it is known in Southeast Asia, to Southern California and back again.
Along with the music-fan spymaster and mentor to the Captain,...
“All right, see you stateside,” says Robert Downey Jr’s Claude quips with some gallows humor to Hoa Xuande’s The Captain near the end of the first episode of HBO’s The Sympathizer as communist North Vietnamese forces bombard soon-to-fall Saigon in 1975.
If the slippery CIA officer was the only role Oscar winner Downey portrays in the multi-genre adaptation of Viet Thanh Nguyen’s Pulitzer-winning novel, it would capture a lot of attention on or off cable. However, Downey plays several characters in multicultural and multinational The Sympathizer from showrunners Park Chan-wook and Don McKellar as the action moves from the dying days of the American War, as it is known in Southeast Asia, to Southern California and back again.
Along with the music-fan spymaster and mentor to the Captain,...
- 4/15/2024
- by Dominic Patten
- Deadline Film + TV
Have you ever experienced that electrifying moment in a film when everything you thought you knew gets flipped on its head?
I know I have, and let me tell you, there’s nothing quite like the rush of adrenaline that comes from a jaw-dropping twist ending.
Join me on a thrilling cinematic adventure as we dive deep into the realm of mind-bending twist endings.
From the classics that stunned audiences to the hidden gems that deserve more attention, we’re about to embark on a journey through the twists and turns that make movie magic genuinely unforgettable.
Get comfy because the surprises are about to begin!
A Personal Quest for Unforgettable Endings
As a devoted film enthusiast, I’ve always cherished the rollercoaster of emotions that movies can evoke.
Yet, those moments of sheer shock and awe have etched themselves into my memories.
From the palpable gasps of disbelief to...
I know I have, and let me tell you, there’s nothing quite like the rush of adrenaline that comes from a jaw-dropping twist ending.
Join me on a thrilling cinematic adventure as we dive deep into the realm of mind-bending twist endings.
From the classics that stunned audiences to the hidden gems that deserve more attention, we’re about to embark on a journey through the twists and turns that make movie magic genuinely unforgettable.
Get comfy because the surprises are about to begin!
A Personal Quest for Unforgettable Endings
As a devoted film enthusiast, I’ve always cherished the rollercoaster of emotions that movies can evoke.
Yet, those moments of sheer shock and awe have etched themselves into my memories.
From the palpable gasps of disbelief to...
- 4/15/2024
- by Pia Vermaak
- buddytv.com
With the first episode of The Sympathizer premiering this past weekend on HBO, the world is seeing just how wild this adaptation of the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel is. A stunning blend of war story, satire, and powerful drama, The Sympathizer boasts impressive performances from a cast featuring Hoa Xuande, Sandra Oh, and Robert Downey Jr in five distinct performances. Written by Don McKellar alongside Oldboy director Park Chan-wook, The Sympathizer is incredible. The seven-part series will be a big contender for series of the year. I got the chance to speak with the cast and producers about bringing the book to the screen, and their insights are below. Check it out.
First, I asked Sandra Oh about her layered experience making recent films like Umma, which focused on Korean identity, and the comedy Quiz Lady with Awkwafina, which touched on race and culture without making it a central part of the plot.
First, I asked Sandra Oh about her layered experience making recent films like Umma, which focused on Korean identity, and the comedy Quiz Lady with Awkwafina, which touched on race and culture without making it a central part of the plot.
- 4/15/2024
- by Alex Maidy
- JoBlo.com
If you felt the instinct to pause, rewind, or repeat part of the premiere to HBO’s “The Sympathizer” on its April 14 premiere, showrunner Park Chan-Wook is one step ahead of you.
The Korean director best known for films like “Oldboy” and “The Handmaiden” and the recent “Decision to Leave” was a critical mind in shaping “The Sympathizer,” based on Viet Thanh Nguyen’s bestseller, which required anticipating how the audience would receive the story. In Episode 1, we meet our unnamed protagonist, The Captain (Hoa Xuande), whose interrogation frames the flashbacks that follow.
The Captain’s confession was one element of adapting Nguyen’s story, Park told IndieWire over Zoom with a translator, but the second piece of that framework was particularly exciting: The Commandant’s (Quinn Hoàng) interruptions.
“Sometimes the commandant might get angry at the captain, or sometimes be criticizing — that is how he engages himself in this storytelling,...
The Korean director best known for films like “Oldboy” and “The Handmaiden” and the recent “Decision to Leave” was a critical mind in shaping “The Sympathizer,” based on Viet Thanh Nguyen’s bestseller, which required anticipating how the audience would receive the story. In Episode 1, we meet our unnamed protagonist, The Captain (Hoa Xuande), whose interrogation frames the flashbacks that follow.
The Captain’s confession was one element of adapting Nguyen’s story, Park told IndieWire over Zoom with a translator, but the second piece of that framework was particularly exciting: The Commandant’s (Quinn Hoàng) interruptions.
“Sometimes the commandant might get angry at the captain, or sometimes be criticizing — that is how he engages himself in this storytelling,...
- 4/15/2024
- by Proma Khosla
- Indiewire
“I am a spy, a sleeper, a spook, a man of two faces.”
So begins Viet Thanh Nguyen’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel “The Sympathizer,” which, when released in 2015, was hailed for its humorous, biting interrogation of American perspectives on the Vietnam War.
Integrating elements of the espionage thriller à lá John le Carré with a heavy sense of irony reminiscent of Ralph Ellison’s “Invisible Man,” “The Sympathizer” is told from the viewpoint of an officer in the U.S.-supported South Vietnam army who secretly reports back to communists in North Vietnam. Framed as a confession to the people for whom he has ostensibly been spying, the narrator — who goes unnamed in the novel — chronicles the story of his journey to Southern California, where he joins the Vietnamese refugee community settling there and grapples with questions of loyalty and assimilation.
In a 2015 interview, Nguyen, who is a professor at the University of Southern California,...
So begins Viet Thanh Nguyen’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel “The Sympathizer,” which, when released in 2015, was hailed for its humorous, biting interrogation of American perspectives on the Vietnam War.
Integrating elements of the espionage thriller à lá John le Carré with a heavy sense of irony reminiscent of Ralph Ellison’s “Invisible Man,” “The Sympathizer” is told from the viewpoint of an officer in the U.S.-supported South Vietnam army who secretly reports back to communists in North Vietnam. Framed as a confession to the people for whom he has ostensibly been spying, the narrator — who goes unnamed in the novel — chronicles the story of his journey to Southern California, where he joins the Vietnamese refugee community settling there and grapples with questions of loyalty and assimilation.
In a 2015 interview, Nguyen, who is a professor at the University of Southern California,...
- 4/14/2024
- by Rachel Seo
- Variety Film + TV
There’s an awful lot of pressure that comes with adapting an acclaimed novel for the screen, especially if it won the prestigious Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. HBO teams up with A24, the indie production company behind Beef and Euphoria, to take on that challenge with its small-screen take on The Sympathizer, the best-selling 2015 novel by Vietnamese-American academic and author Viet Thanh Nguyen. Revered South Korean filmmaker Park Chan-wook, whose 2003 prison thriller Oldboy is said to have influenced Nguyen’s novel, leads the creative charge as co-creator, director, and writer alongside collaborator Don McKellar (Last Night), who is credited as co-showrunner and writer.
- 4/12/2024
- by Philiana Ng
- Primetimer
Korean filmmaker Park Chan-wook’s last foray into the television medium was for an adaptation of a John Le Carré novel, so it should come as no surprise that his next venture is also a spy thriller adaptation. The Sympathizer is an incredibly involved miniseries with many moving pieces, but thanks to an incredible team behind and in front of the camera, the pieces mostly come together in spectacular fashion.
Adapted from the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of the same name, The Sympathizer tells the story of a North Vietnamese plant in the South Vietnamese army who flees to the United States as a refugee, kicking off a web of lies and deceit. Although it has the premise of an espionage thriller, there’s so much more here, and the result is thoroughly entertaining.
The show does struggle to explore some of its themes with the depth they deserve. There are...
Adapted from the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of the same name, The Sympathizer tells the story of a North Vietnamese plant in the South Vietnamese army who flees to the United States as a refugee, kicking off a web of lies and deceit. Although it has the premise of an espionage thriller, there’s so much more here, and the result is thoroughly entertaining.
The show does struggle to explore some of its themes with the depth they deserve. There are...
- 4/10/2024
- by Sean Boelman
- FandomWire
There is so much going on in Viet Thanh Nguyen’s Pulitzer Prize-winning 2015 novel “The Sympathizer” that it would take a team of true craftsmen even to attempt to unpack it in episodic form. HBO is lucky they hired one of the best in Park Chan-Wook, a supremely and undeniably talented director. The South Korean auteur filmmaker behind “Decision to Leave,” “Oldboy,” and many more brings his remarkable tonal confidence to the first three episodes of “The Sympathizer,” which almost plays like a three-hour new film by the award-winning director.
Continue reading ‘The Sympathizer’ Review: Park Chan-Wook, Robert Downey Jr. Are in Inspired Pairing for HBO’s Ambitious Adaptation at The Playlist.
Continue reading ‘The Sympathizer’ Review: Park Chan-Wook, Robert Downey Jr. Are in Inspired Pairing for HBO’s Ambitious Adaptation at The Playlist.
- 4/10/2024
- by Brian Tallerico
- The Playlist
"For months, my life has just been a struggle between sanity and madness." Hulu has revealed an official trailer for a documentary film titled The Contestant, a fascinating, unbelievable true story about a game show contestant in Japan in the 1990s known as "Nasubi". It's a bizarre cross between The Truman Show and Oldboy (and predates both of these films), but it actually really happened. This true story of a Japanese reality TV star left naked in a room for more than a year, tasked with filling out magazine sweepstakes to earn food & clothing, prompts innumerable questions about our culture of oversharing. Before the reality TV craze, there was this ominous harbinger in Japan of what was to come in oversharing-obsessed culture. The Contestant traces the experience of aspiring comedian Tomoaki Hamatsu, nicknamed Nasubi, who unwittingly became an extreme case study. The doc film brings a revelatory depth of insight by interviewing Nasubi and others,...
- 4/9/2024
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Netflix has become one of the premiere streaming sites for carrying both existing and original content from across Asia. This is especially true when looking at Korean movies and original series (such as Mask Girl and Song of the Bandits), often dominating the rating charts. Continuing on our #tributetonetflix, we wanted to highlight some of the best films on the platform you can watch right now. Here are the best Korean movies currently available for streaming on Netflix.
*The following applies to the availability in the US
1. The Wailing (2016) by Na Hong-jin
“The Wailing” features many grotesque scenes. Cannibalism, violent killings, people acting like zombies, the terribly depicted skin infection, the cock killing ritual, and the amounts of blood all point towards an extreme horror film. The same applies to Hyo-jin's behavior, which is very hard to watch, particularly during the ritual scene. The sequences involving the dog and the...
*The following applies to the availability in the US
1. The Wailing (2016) by Na Hong-jin
“The Wailing” features many grotesque scenes. Cannibalism, violent killings, people acting like zombies, the terribly depicted skin infection, the cock killing ritual, and the amounts of blood all point towards an extreme horror film. The same applies to Hyo-jin's behavior, which is very hard to watch, particularly during the ritual scene. The sequences involving the dog and the...
- 4/9/2024
- by AMP Group
- AsianMoviePulse
[Editor’s note: Spoilers for “Monkey Man” below.]
Move over John Wick, there’s a new martial arts action hero: Dev Patel’s titular underdog in his directorial debut, “Monkey Man.” Inspired by the ancient legend of the Hindu deity Hanuman, the invincible Monkey God, Patel creates his own mythic avenging angel in the tradition of such Korean action films as “Oldboy” and “Man From Nowhere.” Lowly yet scrappy and full of rage, Patel’s Kid is determined to take down the sinister elite of the fictional Yatana, Mumbai’s version of Gotham, and kill the corrupt cop, Rana (Sikandar Kher), who brutally murdered his mother and scarred him for life.
Patel (a martial arts competitor and teacher in London in the early 2000s with a passion for the film genre), trained rigorously with fight coordinator Brahim Chab (“The Foreigner”) and performed all the fights himself. Although he embraced Chab’s intricate choreography, he also...
Move over John Wick, there’s a new martial arts action hero: Dev Patel’s titular underdog in his directorial debut, “Monkey Man.” Inspired by the ancient legend of the Hindu deity Hanuman, the invincible Monkey God, Patel creates his own mythic avenging angel in the tradition of such Korean action films as “Oldboy” and “Man From Nowhere.” Lowly yet scrappy and full of rage, Patel’s Kid is determined to take down the sinister elite of the fictional Yatana, Mumbai’s version of Gotham, and kill the corrupt cop, Rana (Sikandar Kher), who brutally murdered his mother and scarred him for life.
Patel (a martial arts competitor and teacher in London in the early 2000s with a passion for the film genre), trained rigorously with fight coordinator Brahim Chab (“The Foreigner”) and performed all the fights himself. Although he embraced Chab’s intricate choreography, he also...
- 4/5/2024
- by Bill Desowitz
- Indiewire
This article contains massive spoilers for "Monkey Man."
The medium of cinema is brilliantly, endlessly malleable. It's an art form able to communicate so many perspectives, stories, emotions and the like, yet there are some genres that feel especially inherent to the medium. Action is undeniably one of these; even the most basic, average action movie combines elements of sound, cinematography, actors giving performances that are equal parts physical and vocal, music, choreography and more. In other words, it takes every element available to the filmmaker to construct a convincing, engaging action sequence, something that can't be exactly replicated in, say, a song, picture, or painting.
Perhaps this is one reason why so many action films dabble in myth: the very construction of an action film requires the establishment of a hyper-reality, so it follows that larger-than-life themes, tropes, and traditions would fit inside such a world. This is a...
The medium of cinema is brilliantly, endlessly malleable. It's an art form able to communicate so many perspectives, stories, emotions and the like, yet there are some genres that feel especially inherent to the medium. Action is undeniably one of these; even the most basic, average action movie combines elements of sound, cinematography, actors giving performances that are equal parts physical and vocal, music, choreography and more. In other words, it takes every element available to the filmmaker to construct a convincing, engaging action sequence, something that can't be exactly replicated in, say, a song, picture, or painting.
Perhaps this is one reason why so many action films dabble in myth: the very construction of an action film requires the establishment of a hyper-reality, so it follows that larger-than-life themes, tropes, and traditions would fit inside such a world. This is a...
- 4/4/2024
- by Bill Bria
- Slash Film
Before his mid-career upswing — starting either with “The Lobster” or “The Beguiled” and running through recent scorchers like “After Yang” and “The Banshees of Inisherin” — it’s worth remembering that Colin Farrell used to make bad movies, too. Now, his hot streak includes an Oscar nomination and a successful blockbuster franchise (soon with its own TV spinoff), but back then, for every “New World” and “In Bruges,” there was a “London Boulevard” and “Dead Man Down.” “Disappointing” may be a better descriptor of his star-forming era, with the “Total Recall” and “Fright Night” reboots, as well as earlier flops like “Alexander,” “The Recruit,” and “S.W.A.T.” But no matter how you remember them (if you remember them), Farrell’s early career offered uncertain quality. Of course, TV fans needn’t be reminded that Farrell’s charming Irish talents have gone to waste in projects unworthy of his efforts. We shan’t...
- 4/4/2024
- by Ben Travers
- Indiewire
Revenge (Shudder), Only God Forgives (Radius), Mandy (Rlje Entertainment)Graphic: The A.V. Club
The appeal of the revenge thriller is simple: it’s catharsis. A grim power fantasy that taps into the irrational parts of our brains that crave satisfaction after being wronged. Of course, in life, most people will...
The appeal of the revenge thriller is simple: it’s catharsis. A grim power fantasy that taps into the irrational parts of our brains that crave satisfaction after being wronged. Of course, in life, most people will...
- 4/4/2024
- by Jarrod Jones
- avclub.com
South Korean filmmaker Park Chan-wook is regarded as one of the most prominent filmmakers in South Korean cinema and in the Hollywood entertainment industry. Chan-wook’s work has garnered attention for its cinematography, framing, black humor, and brutal themes.
Park Chan-wook directed, co-wrote, and produced 2022’s critically acclaimed South Korean neo-noir romantic mystery movie Decision to Leave, starring Tang Wei and Park Hae-ii. The movie was named one of the top five international movies in 2022 by the National Board of Review and was selected as a South Korean entry for Best International Feature Film at the 95th Academy Awards. The brilliant filmmaker Park Chan-wook is reportedly working on his passion project after he recently collaborated with a Marvel actor.
Tang Wei and Park Hae-ii in Park Chan-wook’s Decision to Leave
Park Chan-wook to start production on his ‘lifelong passion project’ in fall of 2024
According to World of Reel, after...
Park Chan-wook directed, co-wrote, and produced 2022’s critically acclaimed South Korean neo-noir romantic mystery movie Decision to Leave, starring Tang Wei and Park Hae-ii. The movie was named one of the top five international movies in 2022 by the National Board of Review and was selected as a South Korean entry for Best International Feature Film at the 95th Academy Awards. The brilliant filmmaker Park Chan-wook is reportedly working on his passion project after he recently collaborated with a Marvel actor.
Tang Wei and Park Hae-ii in Park Chan-wook’s Decision to Leave
Park Chan-wook to start production on his ‘lifelong passion project’ in fall of 2024
According to World of Reel, after...
- 4/2/2024
- by Avneet Ahluwalia
- FandomWire
The Sympathizer: Robert Downey Jr’s TV Comeback (Photo Credit – IMDb)
Robert Downey Jr has come back to television after over two decades. The legendary actor famous for suiting up as Iron Man is gearing up for a big return to TV screens. He’s set to headline an HBO series based on Viet Thanh Nguyen’s award-winning novel, The Sympathizer, as per reports.
Downey is getting ready to dive into several supporting characters in The Sympathizer, embodying various antagonists such as “an up-and-coming Orange County congressman, a CIA agent, and a Hollywood film director, among others,” as revealed in a press release. Casting for the main role is currently in full swing.
Deadline broke the news first. This gig signals Robert Downey Jr’s comeback to TV after two decades, making it his first regular small-screen role since his stint on Ally McBeal back in 2002.
Trending The First...
Robert Downey Jr has come back to television after over two decades. The legendary actor famous for suiting up as Iron Man is gearing up for a big return to TV screens. He’s set to headline an HBO series based on Viet Thanh Nguyen’s award-winning novel, The Sympathizer, as per reports.
Downey is getting ready to dive into several supporting characters in The Sympathizer, embodying various antagonists such as “an up-and-coming Orange County congressman, a CIA agent, and a Hollywood film director, among others,” as revealed in a press release. Casting for the main role is currently in full swing.
Deadline broke the news first. This gig signals Robert Downey Jr’s comeback to TV after two decades, making it his first regular small-screen role since his stint on Ally McBeal back in 2002.
Trending The First...
- 4/2/2024
- by Hari P N
- KoiMoi
“Quiet on Set” Docuseries to Launch New Episode
The gripping Investigation Discovery docuseries “Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV” will release one more episode next month.
The recent four-episode unscripted series details the toxic culture behind some of the most iconic children’s shows of the late 1990s and early 2000s at Nickelodeon, including “The Amanda Show” and “Drake & Josh,” and at the hands of TV producer Dan Schneider.
The surprise fifth episode will reportedly feature new interviews with earlier subjects, including Drake Bell and “All That” cast members Giovonnie Samuels, to build off the revelations from the first four episodes. The episode will also feature new interviewee and “All That” cast member Shane Lyons, who will be interviewed by journalist Soledad O’Brien for a discussion about where the industry can next.
Watch the trailer for “Quiet on Set” below:
According to ID, the first four...
The gripping Investigation Discovery docuseries “Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV” will release one more episode next month.
The recent four-episode unscripted series details the toxic culture behind some of the most iconic children’s shows of the late 1990s and early 2000s at Nickelodeon, including “The Amanda Show” and “Drake & Josh,” and at the hands of TV producer Dan Schneider.
The surprise fifth episode will reportedly feature new interviews with earlier subjects, including Drake Bell and “All That” cast members Giovonnie Samuels, to build off the revelations from the first four episodes. The episode will also feature new interviewee and “All That” cast member Shane Lyons, who will be interviewed by journalist Soledad O’Brien for a discussion about where the industry can next.
Watch the trailer for “Quiet on Set” below:
According to ID, the first four...
- 3/29/2024
- by Ashley Steves
- The Streamable
Robert Downey Jr. recently raised headlines when he ended his award run for Oppenheimer with an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor. It looks like the Iron Man actor whose acting credibility is often ignored due to his MCU affinity has transformed his script choices. His latest appearance in The Sympathizer trailer proves it.
Robert Downey Jr. in The Sympathizer
The Sympathizer is an upcoming limited series featuring Robert Downey Jr. alongside Sandra Oh and Hoa Xuande, made by the renowned South Korean filmmaker, Park Chan-wook. The 60-year-old is known for making critically acclaimed films like Oldboy, Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance, and The Handmaiden. It has convinced the fans that Rdj will have another award season to his name.
The Sympathizer trailer promises another Robert Downey Jr. acting masterclass Robert Downey Jr. will portray several role(s) in The Sympathizer
Robert Downey Jr. looked entirely different when he portrayed Lewis Strauss in Oppenheimer.
Robert Downey Jr. in The Sympathizer
The Sympathizer is an upcoming limited series featuring Robert Downey Jr. alongside Sandra Oh and Hoa Xuande, made by the renowned South Korean filmmaker, Park Chan-wook. The 60-year-old is known for making critically acclaimed films like Oldboy, Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance, and The Handmaiden. It has convinced the fans that Rdj will have another award season to his name.
The Sympathizer trailer promises another Robert Downey Jr. acting masterclass Robert Downey Jr. will portray several role(s) in The Sympathizer
Robert Downey Jr. looked entirely different when he portrayed Lewis Strauss in Oppenheimer.
- 3/29/2024
- by Subham Mandal
- FandomWire
Robert Downey Jr. may newly be wearing the title of Oscar winner, but the “Oppenheimer” star is shedding all semblance of self for Park Chan-wook’s “The Sympathizer.”
Downey is a chameleon in multiple roles for the HBO seven-episode limited series, co-showrun by Park and Don McKellar who both executive produce. “The Sympathizer” is based on Viet Thanh Nguyen’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of the same name and is at once an espionage thriller and cross-culture satire about the struggles of a half-French, half-Vietnamese communist spy (Hoa Xuande) during the final days of the Vietnam War. As he starts his new life as a refugee in Los Angeles he learns that his spying days aren’t over.
“The Sympathizer” cast also includes Sandra Oh, Fred Nguyen Khan, Toan Le, Phanxine, Vy Le, Ky Duyen, Kieu Chinh, Duy Nguyen, and Alan Trong. The series is a co-production between A24 and HBO,...
Downey is a chameleon in multiple roles for the HBO seven-episode limited series, co-showrun by Park and Don McKellar who both executive produce. “The Sympathizer” is based on Viet Thanh Nguyen’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of the same name and is at once an espionage thriller and cross-culture satire about the struggles of a half-French, half-Vietnamese communist spy (Hoa Xuande) during the final days of the Vietnam War. As he starts his new life as a refugee in Los Angeles he learns that his spying days aren’t over.
“The Sympathizer” cast also includes Sandra Oh, Fred Nguyen Khan, Toan Le, Phanxine, Vy Le, Ky Duyen, Kieu Chinh, Duy Nguyen, and Alan Trong. The series is a co-production between A24 and HBO,...
- 3/28/2024
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
Robert Downey Jr. appears to be traveling further down the road that won him the Oscar this year. After playing the antagonist Lewis Strauss in Oppenheimer, Downey Jr. has landed another antagonist role in the upcoming HBO series, The Sympathizer. When glimpses of his performance in the series were released on social media, fans were pretty sure that the actor is aiming for the Primetime Emmys next.
Robert Downey Jr. as Lewis Strauss in Oppenheimer
Besides his acting role in the series, Downey Jr. and his wife Susan Downey serve as the executive producers of the series. The Sympathizer is based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of the same name by Viet Thanh Nguyen.
Robert Downey Jr. Eyeing The Emmys Next After Oscar Win With New Series Role
Robert Downey Jr. aims for the Emmys with his new role(s) in The Sympathizer
Robert Downey Jr. was seen in at...
Robert Downey Jr. as Lewis Strauss in Oppenheimer
Besides his acting role in the series, Downey Jr. and his wife Susan Downey serve as the executive producers of the series. The Sympathizer is based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of the same name by Viet Thanh Nguyen.
Robert Downey Jr. Eyeing The Emmys Next After Oscar Win With New Series Role
Robert Downey Jr. aims for the Emmys with his new role(s) in The Sympathizer
Robert Downey Jr. was seen in at...
- 3/28/2024
- by Hashim Asraff
- FandomWire
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